Can opener



y 1950 P. J. HARNEY 2,508,944

cm OPENER Filed March 5, 1947 [NVL'NTOA PA vmcx J HAENEY B M .4.

iatentezi May 23,

OPENER *Paiti'ick- L H airneyj ('i liidagh, Ill. Agpheztionilarehfi, 1947;J S.erial 1%. 32,504

Ii v i'rh present invention relates tn-a dvie f6r iihvidinghn opening" br open ngs finvearis 'or like eritaifhers ffor affdrdihg a; afacile dispensing of thehontehtsof'the ca'ri. l r H h Ajmofig .the' Dbj'e'ets bf the inventmnpis to pre Yi'd a ,niivel .device having arms" or legs which are aisbos'ed at preferabl an angl reatertha a right angle, of which one of the ariiisrhayhe ve means tES-Ke'fIeetafi hIinihg bropenirigs ma all, s'lih a, top wan, or the can, and thebther arm maybe presseq vagainst moved along g, corner portion .qr edge ,bbrtidri hf the can, such as a, rirh pbrticih dr:detbohtidh, or shoulder portion to: the can whereby w en the device fldifceh hitinst arid 510m; such lhtirtib'n' hf .the ctn, thfl tterjirihinyrslitl therea'lon'g in a 'dgihgehtidri and cause .thedther arm to" be Tdtal'wij, with itsrmeans ,jforncail's ing; an open iiig 22161155 such watlLsilh as the end wall, tb eff 2497), puheturing ahiishearing} elfi-ppenihg suchWa11, withbrwithbut also effecting a. Veiit cipehirig pr openingsietlso insu'ch wan, gs desired.

Another object of thei iiverit'ibn is to rov'ia a; riqye'li'fleviee as referred t6 With one of the arms dijth hem adjustablewith reference to the dther jfo'r adapting "the Y application of the .dvie tp different sizes of .cansorrecebtacle's or the like.

hzfurt'hgr object of 'theinventior'i s to pr vide a, nbte'ldvice as referred t W ith meansjiqr hold;- h' 'z h flevice and afcar'iheld bythe-jd'viqe 011 a reeptgele intdwhich the contents .1of the cam mayf'flht'ffrom such can.

Other bjects, advantages, capabilities, fee tfires; and the like are cbmprheniid .hy .the' ,inve tio as will later appear and 21s a'reinherentry possessed bythe" invention.

*Fig'fil-isakviewin elevation 6f aqtieviceico'h strhqtegl in accordancewith the, inventiqh;

Fig jse sjimilar View showing the device .in wstagegfoperatiq or use; A

3 is} a snni arview showing the 'd'tie! in anpthel sttge' (if use; I Y I a n ebltiiifs; (G1 30 16) oft-h de ce taken hi1" wplane-representedbyiline 2 hpwr as comprising le s or ar s n :2 of which the lgtter-hasanerm pr 1eg 138 1117 3 a nq an arm grgleg part with-a.-conneetingpartj atan e pl of the :partsfiyand 3, the ;;p ar t 13 being. shown connected to ,an'endportion -pf theleg 9174a; as fb rmi ge corner qr knee 6, uad. thepart l (has m nd rt n I. w is eler y. e a ed Withe l r he rm onl Land 2 have side flanges 8; 91, ,;and I l :vghichaet qs hee foremg means for the legs pr arm s -l and 2. Th? 0 6 ;l =ma qssm z n erm or leg, and the .1eg .,or arm 2 --may"be-termed-a weeir s e m-7v, t e h he en o hez malh s cu e o ltapered blade E 2 having apuneturingorputting ppiht lfl, and at Suitable intermediate po ints pf the arm are 4 pi'bvided blades Ht, l tfi which; are tapered aha have punehing or Cutting po'i ts ll 18,,1-9 adaptei t6 puncture angt cut holes;inemeniwall zfl qf ascan zjh ,Thes biades I4, I5, -l6 gre;.pref erahly punched from a, web; of the 21mm '.I in g, kiidWn me Iiher,;thus legwing-hples 2 3, 24, 2.5 111 the web of the arm v I The other end of the can Zlhas an end wau or bottomrwa nzz, H

The .free end portion 10f the armpart g provided with a tongue 2L6 adapted, to extend man -mm 1 51 16 1 2e .25 an math against the poi-responding hlqde; (I; 15, l 6. {The arm} and its partsflendj hasenolggh resilinylto P m t he am rt w i s. nu 26 t6 he rtrgete glfI'Omth -,hQ1e '23,4or- 2 4-, r ;25 and .froin abutting engagement with the blame I t or i5, vor 16, for adjustment tp g particular size bicah 2i, tobe ripened,endionadjusted ihsertidh pf vthe ..tohgue v 25 in -qnother hql e, gsyeh as h'ol'e" 2B,.0r25 or 23, and the abutment with al tblad',s1ich as hlade {5, or l5, or li -as theg c ase may be. Inj Fi'gs. 1, 2 and -3rthe deviee isvshqvvrr as applied vt6 a, largest size-pap =Whi1e 0:115

three adjustments are shbwn for applyi gthe gie vice tofithree. sizes of vcans .it, is to he understqed. that .the ih'ventid not: lilmited t'heretg hut may, have any number bf; adjustments by; provid ing ,e-drjrespcndihgly more bIade's, like blades 14; orl5,=0r l.6,f.as',desired. j'l'h 'rin' L2 meyhave at a; suitable point; a hook or thghk. 21tadaptedftdbehbgked oyer erbtherwiseehgag'ed tea; rirrirEB IOf 2a hec ehtqcl e er the lik'efZflihto .whieh oil or the l ike malyrflowpr drainfrbmtheang f (see F1g.;3) r In Operation. or use Wheri, is'fldjredte open afidjhtv access ti the vchhtehtsp f the e aspen} l ,,.the deviee is appliee} as shqw e 1 wi'thhthelb'leicie l' 2 t3 pear a edgemertiop 31a of a Wall, such as a' top wall 28*, so that by applying pressure to the blade portion l2l3, it may be made to enter the can by the point 13 puncturing or piercing a hole and the blade l2 cutting or shearing in the top wall 20 to produce a sort of V-shaped opening 29 with a resulting inwardly curled lip 30. At the same time the arm 2 is brought against an opposite corner or edge portion 31 of the can so that the arm part 4 will engage such corner 3i as at a point 32 which is more remote from the hole 29 than the upper end portion 1 of the arm portion i so that as further pressure is applied to the device and the upper portion of the arm part 4 is forced or wedged down the blade I 2i3 will have a drawing cutting action to shear more of the can top 20 to produce a more curled lip 39 as shown in Fig. 2, and also offering an amply large opening 29 through which the contents of the can 2| may be later freely discharged when the can is tipped or inverted as shown by way of example in Fig. 3.

Toward the end of the down stroke of the device the blade points H, or I! and 48, as the case may be, depending on the size of the can 2!, of the blades M, or i l and IE will enter into the top 20 and produce a hole or holes 33, or 33 and 34 which will act as displacement air vent opening Or openings to afford a free dispensing of the contents of the can (see Fig. 3). Since the blade or blades it, or 14 and i are tapered and also since the points ii, or ii and 58 are tapered or beveled, and also because of the angular disposition of the blades l4, l5 and of the arm part 4, there will be also a lateral shearing action so as to produce the openings 33, 34 of more or less triangular shape and clear from or of the inwardly projecting portions of the blades i4, i5, portions of the top being thus curled in to form the curled lips or the like 33*, 34 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The blade it being at an end of the series acts as a stop or shoulder for the end of the arm part 4 when opening a largest sized can, while the blade l5 will act as a stop for the tongue 26 when opening a smallest sized can; the blade M at the other or inner end of the series acting to open up a vent hole, such as hole 33. It will be understood that the intermediate blade I5 is shown merely by way of illustration and that there may be any number of intermediate blades l5 depending upon the run or range of sizes of the cans to be opened up by the device of this invention.

For the purpose of causing the arm part c to be readily adjustable to contact the tongue 26 selectively and adjustably with any of the blades l4, l5, IS, the arm 2 may have as at the corners 35 and 36 thereof (see Fig. 1) notches or the like 31 and 38 provided in the flanges 9, l0 and ll to allow a resilient flexing sufficient to ermit the desired adjustment to the particular size of can being opened.

While I have herein described and upon the drawings shown a structure or embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but comprehends other constructions, details, arrangements of parts, features and the like without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A can opener comprising arms which are disposed at an angular relation greater than a right angle and of which an arm has means for effecting an opening in a wall of a can and the other arm has means for wedging against a portion of the can when causing said first arm to efiect said opening, and wherein said wedging arm has an arm portion which is selectively adjustable to vary the angular relation of said arms and in which said first arm and said arm portion have engageable parts for maintaining the selected adjustable relation thereof.

2. A can opener as set forth in claim 1, and wherein said first arm and said arm portion have tongues which are engageable with each other in their selected adjustable relation.

3. A can opener comprising arms which are disposed at an angular relation greater than a right angle and of which an arm has means for effecting an opening in a wall of a can and the other arm has means for wedging against a portion of the can when causing said first arm to eiiect said opening, said opening means comprising a blade in an end of said first arm to effect an opening in said wall portion of said can, and wherein said first arm also has an additional blade atan intermediate point of said first arm to effect a vent opening in said top of said can, and wherein said wedging arm has an arm portion which is selectively adjustable to Vary the angular relation of said arms in which said first arm and said arm portion have engageable parts for maintaining the selected adjustable relation thereof.

4. A can opener as set forth in claim 3, and wherein said first arm and said arm portion have tongues which are engageable with each other in their selected adjustable relation.

5. A can opener comprising arms which are disposed at an angular relation greater than a right angl and of which an arm has means for effecting an opening in a wall of a can and the other arm has means for wedging against a portion of the can when causing said first arm to effect said opening, said opening means comprising a blade in an end of said first arm to effect an opening in said wall portion of said can, wherein said blade is tapered and curved and has a point for entering in said wall portion of said can to elfect a free opening in said wall portion, wherein said first arm also has an additional blade at an intermediate point of said first arm to effect a vent opening in said top of said can, wherein said additional blade is tapered and has a point for entering said wall portion of said can to effect a free vent opening in said wall portion, and wherein said wedging arm has an arm portion which is selectively adjustable to vary the angular relation of said arms and in which said first arm and said arm portion have engageable parts for maintaining the selected adjustable relation thereof.

6. A can opener as set forth in claim 5, and wherein said first arm and said arm portion have tongues which are engageable with each other in their selected adjustable relation.

7. A can opener comprising a pressure arm having a blade for effecting an opening in a wall of a can, a wedging arm connected to said pressure arm at an end thereof and having an arm segment which is adjustable relative to the remainder of said wedging arm, and interengageable members carried by said pressure arm and said arm segment for holding said arm segment in selected adjusted relation.

8. A can opener as set forth in claim 7, and wherein said arm segment in any of its adjusted positions bears an angular relation to said pressure arm greater than a right angle.

9. A can opener as set forth in claim 8, and wherein said first arm also has an additional 5 blade at an intermediate point of said first arm UNITED STATES PATENTS to effect a vent opening in said top of said can. Number Name Date PATRICK HARNEY- 1,658,165 Hopkins Feb. '1, 1928 1,767,504 Bemelmans June 24, 1930 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,055,865 Hopkins Sept. 29, 1936 The followmg references are of record in the 2,131,631 L ek tmm et a1, Sept, 27, 1938 file of this patent: 2,195,253 Meier et a1 Mar. 26, 1940 

